High speed optical modulators may form a interface between wide bandwidth electronic data and an optical communication system. These devices may be used in any photonic system, including fiber communications, optically controlled antennas, and optical signal processing. These devices may have advantages of wide RF bandwidths, and low switching voltages. Also importantly, electro optic polymer devices may enjoy compatibility with a variety of substrates including Si, GaAs, and plastic.
Certain conventional modulators may be based on LiNbO3 or other semiconductors. These materials are typically rigid crystalline materials. Devices made from these materials must be used in rigid packages. The devices must be stiff, and must remain stiff and flat during use.
A plastic substrate enables implementing a flexible device. The flexible device can be a flexible, guided wave high-speed optical modulator. The flexible optic waveguide device allows conforming to a curvilinear surface, thereby allowing the device to be placed on any antenna or an aircraft surface. This can also be used for optically controlled phased array antennas; for example antennas that can be unrolled after the satellite is already in orbit. The device can also be rolled up and unrolled while in use.
Previous systems have described poled electro-optic polymer films being lifted from a substrate, using a water-soluble layer. Other systems describe Mylar™ being used as a substrate for a flexible modulator, and inserted into W band rectangular microwave waveguides, to form a traveling wave modulator. The modulator is released from the fabrication substrate using a solvent to dissolve the adhesive.
Both of these approaches require a special adhesive to attach the flexible substrate to the fabrication substrate. That adhesive must be capable of dissolving later. The adhesive must also be capable of withstanding temperatures used in poling the polymer film. Moreover, new polymer materials have recently become available which have higher glass transition temperatures (Tg). These polymers are poled at higher temperatures, and stable at high temperatures. This provides even more difficulty in selecting adhesives and effective this formation process.